As a bonus, here’s another take on the skirt — I wore this to the office (leather? gasp!) on a stat holiday when no one was around to be scandalized:

Some of you probably remember this dress from a few months ago and, yes, I did end up deciding to keep it. For now, at least. Wrap dresses are actually on my “never” list but I made an exception for this one. The silhouette is more A-line than the typical wrap dress, and somehow that makes a lot of difference in terms of how I feel in it. The neckline also doesn’t gape as much as usual with most DVF dresses, although I still have to pin it shut for work purposes. For anyone interested in hunting this dress on eBay, I would say that it fits more true-to-size than other DVF wraps. I’m a size 4-6 in most designer brands, and usually take an 8 in DVF dresses; this dress is a size 6 and fits well. Also, note that the top and bottom are made from different materials. The top is made from the same silk jersey material that’s typical for DVF wrap dresses, but the bottom is made from a stiffer cotton fabric. The dress has pockets, but they come sewn shut (I thrifted the dress new-with-tags); I haven’t decided if I’m going to open them up or not.

I know the blazer looks fairly red in photos, but it’s actually an orange-leaning brick colour. I had planned this outfit well in advance, as I typically do, and then realized on the morning of that it was very timely. Orange and blue are Oilers colours, and I wore this outfit on the very first day of the playoff season — the Oilers’ first playoffs in over a decade. I’m not a huge hockey fan (shh, don’t tell anyone, or my Canadian citizenship might get revoked) but I’m always game for showing some home team pride.

Ah, springtime in Alberta. Where others get cherry blossoms and tulips, we get snowstorms. This was day 2. I had just finished shoveling our driveway and corner lot sidewalk, when it started snowing again. Sigh. I wasn’t going to let Mother Nature get me down though, so I quickly improvised a mood-lifting outfit. It’s nothing exceptional — just pieces I love, and which happen to be cozy enough for a snowy (though not freezing) day. As for the bag — yes, it should look familiar. It’s my now-ubiquitous Peyton tote in navy. I have been wanting a navy bag for ages, so when I saw this bag (while hunting for a solid colour Peyton on eBay), I knew it was meant to be. It’s only been a week or so, but I have been wearing it nearly every day, and it’s as versatile as I had hoped. Now … if I can only find that pair of navy pumps I’ve been hunting for the last 3 years, I’d be set.